Today in the history of the American comic strip: April 18

American cartoonists and writers may not have invented the comic strip, but some argue that the comics, as we know them today, are an American creation. Clearly, the United States has played an outsize role in the development of this underappreciated art form.

4.18.1977: Sam and Silo, a spin-off from a comic titled Sam’s Strip (1961-1963), makes its debut. Created by Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas, Sam and Silo chronicled the misadventures of a sheriff and his deputy in a town called Upper Duckwater.

Most of the information listed here from one day to the next comes from two online sites -- Wikipedia, and Don Markstein's Toonopedia -- as well as 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics, edited by Maurice Horn. Note that my focus is on American newspaper comic strips (and the occasional foreign strip that gained popularity in the United States). Thus, comic books and exclusively online comics are not included here.